The Trill Problem

Introduction

TNG: "The Host" showed us a symbiosis of two
species, one humanoid and one Trill symbiont implanted into the humanoid. I didn't
like the episode for several reasons. First of all, it is a recurring theme in
TNG that the Enterprise has guests who don't reveal their true nature. It is
just not credible that friendly guests always remain silent about their
(potentially hazardous) peculiarities, and that
no scans indicate their nature either. Secondly, no humanoid would be keen on
being subdued to the Trill symbiont the way it was shown in "The Host".
Thirdly, Beverly, who has fallen in love with Odan and is suddenly
confronted with Odan in Riker's body and finally a female host, comes to the conclusion that sexual attraction is
something that needs to be overcome in favor of more universal
relationships. I firmly disagree, because sexual reproduction has obviously been
the foundation of all human life (and of all mammalian species likewise) for millions
of years, and it is not likely and not desirable anyway to change. It is much
more than just a matter of tolerance for gay and lesbian relationships (if her
statement was a hint in this direction), because Beverly would deny her own
existence if it didn't matter who or what she is attracted to.

OdanTNG: "The Host"

KareelTNG: "The Host"

Jadzia DaxDS9

Ezri DaxDS9

Anyway, my criticism of the episode itself is not what
this brief article is about. The main point is that the producers of DS9
liked the TNG Trill episode obviously more than I did, and they decided to
include a Trill character, namely Dax, in the new series. It is usually
pleasant to see such a kind of inter-series continuity, but in the case of the
Trills it turned out a disaster. DS9 Trills are completely different than TNG
Trills in almost all respects - although the people who created Dax probably thought
they would make only a few insignificant changes to the species' outer
appearance. The real-world reason for the decision for the change was probably
that the make-up with the forehead ridges didn't look good on Terry Farrell,
according to the DS9 Companion.

Dax with TNG lookTest shot

Dax with different spotsTest shot

The Star Trek Encyclopedia almost completely
dismisses the problem and only comments on the fact that Odan doesn't want to
use the transporter: "Certain Trill symbionts can be severely damaged by
beaming, which is why Odan insisted on using the shuttlecraft in 'The
Host' (TNG). Other Trills, including Jadzia Dax, don't seem to have the
same problem."

Evidence

Kriosian make-upTNG: "The Perfect Mate"

TNG symbiontTNG: "The Host"

DS9 symbiontDS9: "Invasive Procedures"

Forbidden relationshipDS9: "Rejoined"

If we compare the biological and other characteristics of DS9 Trills (Jadzia and Ezri
Dax plus several more of her species) and TNG Trills (at least the two that were
in "The Host"), numerous significant differences become evident:

In TNG Odan and the female host shown at the end
of the episode have a quite different outer appearance than all Trills shown in DS9, including Jadzia and Ezri Dax and dozens more. Neither was any TNG Trill
with forehead bones shown
in DS9, nor was there any mention that there are two types of Trill hosts in
any of the two shows. It is
very
unlikely that there two different humanoid species have evolved on the same planet,
and both are able and willing to share a symbiosis with even a
third intelligent species on that planet. The DS9 Trills,
moreover, with their characteristic stain pattern look much the same as the Kriosians (TNG: "The Perfect
Mate"), which remains an unexplained coincidence.

The symbiont in the TNG episode looks only remotely similar
to the one in DS9: "Invasive Procedures". I wouldn't expect a lifeform that can only survive with a
host to exist in a variety of shapes and sub-types. There doesn't seem to
exist a difference between male and female symbionts either.

What is the nature of the Trill species? In TNG
we learn that the symbiont totally controls the host's body
and mind. It is a key point of the episode that the prominent Ambassador Odan (who falls in love
with Beverly) consists of the symbiont only, while his hosts merely serve as
containers. The host bodies
change more than once. This is impressively demonstrated when
Odan takes over Riker's body after the death of his preceding
host, and a female body some time later. It is no surprise
that Bev is embarrassed about that. Fortunately, Will's memory is not wiped out by
the symbiont. However, as I already criticized above it is anything but credible that
humanoids sacrifice themselves by becoming a host for the
all-dominating TNG Trill. The DS9 Trills couldn't be more different. Once the symbiont is implanted
into the host's body, the two individuals form a joined
species and therefore a new person. This person does not only
take over the memories of the symbiont, the current and all
of the previous hosts, but also parts of their personalities.
Thus the new humanoid host does not really lose their
personality, but even feels as if it were extended by the symbiosis (which
is why many DS9 Trills are eager to get one of the rare symbionts). This fact plays a decisive role in the DS9 episode
"Dax" when Jadzia is accused of murder. Sisko who
is in charge of defending her, points out that not Jadzia,
the young woman, would have to be accused, but Curzon, the
old man who was holding the symbiont the time when the murder occurred. So if Curzon should really be guilty, the court
would not have the right to punish his successor who is in
fact a different person. Of course, (Curzon) Dax turns out to
be innocent.

Note DS9: "Facets" establishes that the single Trill individualities
and memories can be isolated in the zhian'tara ceremony and transferred to
other individuals, even aliens. This telepathic dimension is in contrast to
everything else we know about the DS9 Trills and their nature of being
inseparably joined. Also, their telepathic abilities would even surpass
those of the Vulcans by far, if it were that simple. And if it were true,
it would be no evidence either that the TNG Trills may be the same as DS9
Trills. On the contrary, telepathic transfer as in DS9: "Facets"
may have been an option in
TNG: "The Host", but was not taken into consideration.

Side note In a deleted scene in TNG: "The Host", Odan, in Riker's body,
comes to the officers' poker game. He reaffirms that the symbiont totally
controls the host's body and that he has no idea of poker, but he concedes
that he somehow felt compelled to go there.

In TNG, the symbiont's name is Odan. Unlike the
DS9 Trills he does not seem to have a first name that denotes
the host. Otherwise Beverly, who was in love with him, would definitely have used it.
In addition, a first name would have stressed
Odan's claim that he is the son of the Odan who led the negotiations with
Peliar Zel years ago (just like Jadzia Dax may have claimed she was the
daughter of Curzon Dax). If there had been one, he would definitely have used it himself. Therefore
we can assume for sure that TNG Trills don't have a first name at all. The missing first
name matches with the fact that the host is totally suppressed by the
TNG symbiont.

We do not know for sure why Odan of TNG cannot be beamed,
but the impression is created that this is a general peculiarity
of Trills. Beverly surmises: "t would have damaged the symbiont."
Dax, on the other hand, does not have any problems
using the transporter, and not any other DS9 Trill either.

In TNG, it does not appear to be a problem to
implant the Trill symbiont into another host, although
Beverly has never performed this procedure before and it is
not sure whether a human host (Riker) would be compatible with the
symbiont. Moreover, it is possible to insert and remove the
symbiont without damage to host. In DS9 there is a 93 hours
time limit of the symbiosis. If the Trill is removed after
this time has expired, the host will probably die, since his
physiology has become dependent on the symbiont. Dax is
really lucky to have Julian to save her in the DS9 episode
"Invasive Procedures". He is not only affected to her, but obviously an excellent
surgeon too.

Beverly is believed to be one of the most
qualified medical officers of Starfleet. Maybe we have
to revise our opinion on her after the TNG episode "The
Host", when she does not have any knowledge about the
Trills. In fact, she is surprised when she becomes aware that
there is a symbiont in Odan's body in the first place or, to be more precise,
the symbiont is Odan (according to the TNG Trill physiology). Odan himself
lies to her at the beginning of the episode when he claims to be the
former Odan's son, to keep the true nature of his species secret. When
Picard talks with Deanna about the Trills, they agree that the Federation
knows very little about them. At that time, Curzon Dax has been in charge of diplomatic and
other official missions for the Federation for decades, and it is ridiculous
that Sisko should be the only human being to know about his
real nature. Emony Dax was on Earth around 2245 where she acted as a judge
in a gymnastics competition, which almost definitely requires that humans had
at least some basic knowledge about Trills already then. On the other hand,
in DS9: "Emissary" Bashir says he has not seen a symbiotic species
yet, but we may interpret this statement in a way that the young doctor has
not met one in person (or as a patient). Finally, it is obvious that DS9 Trill is supposed to be a
member of the Federation and most likely even a long-time member, whereas this definitely isn't the case with TNG
Trill.

Note Jadzia's spots were removed for the away mission on the Enterprise
NCC-1701 in DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations". It was apparently a
precaution because, given the composition of the Enterprise crew, a human
looking crew member would raise far less suspicion, not because Trills were
entirely unknown at that time.

Odan, having been implanted into a new female
host, does not mind continuing his relationship with
Beverly, whereas exactly this is strictly prohibited for DS9
Trills (DS9: "Rejoined"). Well, the Odan symbiont may be a
renegade or may be willing to become one, but why always assume the
unlikely?

Note It has been objected that the Trill law against reassociation may not apply to relationships with aliens. However, in DS9:
"Afterimage" Sisko mentions to Ezri that Worf may avoid her because "joined Trill aren't supposed to get involved with people who were married to their previous hosts."

Conclusion

Given all this evidence, there is absolutely no way for
the TNG Trills and the DS9 Trills to be the same species. The only thing they
have in common is that they are both living in symbiotic relationships. But
otherwise the two Trills are quite obviously not closer related to one another
than humans to Klingons, for instance. On the other hand, why
should two different species, who only have in common that they consist of a
host and a symbiont, coincidentally have the same name? I don't have a clue. This is just
awfully bad continuity.

When TPTB insisted on DS9 Trills looking different, they
had better given Jadzia's species a different name too. This would have solved most of the above problems, except for Beverly's
astonishment when she obviously encounters a joined species for the very first time.